Abacus

Susan Dworkin has done a brilliant job of bringing to life Edith Hahn Beer's story of what it was like to be a Jew left behing in Vienna during WW2. It is an extraordinary story that had me gripped from the first paragraph because I, like many others I suspect, have had no idea as to what happened to these people and how they survived.

Last Orders at Harrods by Michael Holman I thought when I first saw the book that it was about the famous store in London! When I started reading I discovered it was an African Tale about an international bar.

The way that tough street urchins and well meaning aid workers, and a corrupt dictator come to play a part in helping her to carry on with the name of Harrods on her bar. She says how dare a London Store, no matter how famous, claim exclusive use of the name of her late father Harrods Tangwenya?

There is definitely something in the air with the third of the hugely popular 44 Scotland Street series - Love Over Scotland - revolving around the many colourful characters that come and go at no 44. McCall Smith handles the lives - the loves - and the occupants of this now world-famous address with his usual charm and deftness.The strong Tory chartered surveyor, the pushy mother, most importantly in this novel, the Italian speaking prodigy, Bertie - they're all in there. This is Alexander McCall Smith being his clever witty and entertaining self all over again.